Meridian Matters – March 2015
Meridian Matters is a monthly newsletter published by the Meridian District of Mount Diablo Silverado Council. The March issue is now available.
Click on the above link to preview this month's Roundtable topics and learn about various district news and upcoming events !
Blue and Gold Videos
We hope you had a great time at the Blue and Gold. A big thank you to the Dagen, Ghatta, Noble, Spears, and many other families for putting together a most wonderful event.
During the hectic evening, a very inspiring and well-made video that Den Leader Scott Spears made of the Webelos II unfortunately did not get shown. The Arrow of Light video is now posted on our website. He did an exceptional job and we absolutely do not want his hard work to go unnoticed. We earnestly encourage you all to please watch it and tell Scott how much you appreciate his hard work !
The 2014-2015 video created by Grace capturing our Pack's activities had also been posted. Those of you who missed it will want to watch it as every den is featured. Also tell Grace how much you appreciate her efforts !
As always, photos and videos can be viewed and downloaded from the Pack's photo page. Remember to check it often as photos are posted throughout the year.
Thanks !
Webmaster Elaine
Webelos Naturalist Program in Brentwood
Date/Time: Saturday, March 28 10:00 a.m. – noon
Location: John Muir Interpretive Center 19 Walnut Blvd., Brentwood, CA
Cost: Free
Bring your Webelos out for an adventure. Naturalist John Mottashed will lead your Scouts on a nature hike to complete seven of the 12 Webelos Naturalist Badge requirements: visit a nature center; watch for birds; learn about bird flyways; identify poisonous plants and reptiles; watch at least six wild animals; identify birds and plants that live in our area; learn about the importance of aquatic ecosystems and wetlands. Call 925-688-8010 to register your Scouts.
Hoot Owl Hikes
Date/Time #1: Saturday, March 21st, 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm - Full
Date/Time #2: Saturday, March 28st, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Full
Evite #1: CLOSED
Evite #2: CLOSED
Location: Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore
Cost: $10 per person.
Attire: Class B uniform
Award: Participating scout will receive a Hoot Owl patch, and a Trail Trekkers patch if he doesn't have one already.
Meeting Location: To be determined (see directions to the 2 possible locations below)
Note: Scout only, no siblings. One parent per family.
Must read: Hoot Owl Guidelines, Directions, Hike Detail
Contact: Hiking Chair Siddharth Bhatia
Hello Pack,
This is a special hike for a few reasons: It is a night hike. It is a ranger led hike. It is a fee based hike. It is limited to 17 people so please note the following limitations: Scouts only - No siblings. One parent must accompany his/her scout(s).
Please reply quickly to the Evites as spots are limited. Your RSVP doesn't guarantee a spot until we receive your payment.
The hike lasts about two hours and begins with a ranger-led introduction to nocturnal animals and adaptations of nighttime critters, followed by an easy hike of one to one and a half miles.
Everyone is expected to use their night vision during the program, so please leave your flashlights at home.
SCVGMS 60th Annual Gem and Mineral Festival
Date: April 18 & 19, 2015
Time: 10am - 5pm
Location: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose
Show admission: Free for children under 12 and scouts in uniform. Adult $5 advance purchase or $6 at the door.
Kids area admission: $3.50 per scout, free for adults.
Awards: All Cub Scouts will have the opportunity to earn their Geology Belt Loop and Geology Academic Pin. Webelos will have an additional opportunity to earn their Geologist Pin.
Cub scouts are invited to Visit the Santa Clara Valley Gem and Mineral Society Festival and Kids Area at the Fairgrounds on April 18 and 19. Learn about geology, get a beginning rock collection, a rock bag, and a patch. Choose a day and time slot to visit and send in your sign up form and check by March 31st.
See the SCVGMS flyer and website for more details.
This is not a Pack 1776 event but a community event open to Scout groups.
February Hike – Coyote Hills
Date/Time: Sunday, February 8, 2015, 2:00pm Cancelled due to Rain
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park
Distance: 4 miles round trip
Time: Allow 2-3 hours
Grade: A few short but quite steep grades
Suggested Age: Tigers through Webelos
Attire: Class B uniform
Award: Trail Trekkers patch
Parking & Fees: Parking at the Visitor Center. $5 parking fee.
Meeting Point: Coyote Hills Visitor Center
Contact: Hiking Chair Siddharth Bhatia
RSVP: Evite
What to Bring:
Plenty of water, snacks. Wear clothes appropriate for the weather.
Details:
Head first into the marsh by crossing the park road at the south end of the Visitor Center parking lot. The kids will enjoy walking on the boardwalk. Stop at the wildlife viewing platforms to observe water fowl and possibly muskrats. When the boardwalk ends, keep heading straight, gradually curving to the left, until you reach the D.U.S.T. Trail. Turn left on this trail, then right on Lizard Rock Trail. You will then join Bayview Trail, a paved bicycling trail which encircles the hills. Turn left on the Bayview Trail. When you reach Nike Trail, follow it up to a saddle. Once on the saddle, head south on the Hill Trail. After a short steep climb, you'll reach Red Hill Top, a hill formed of red chert. Watch out for poison oak among the rocks. On a clear day, the views are great. You'll want to point out some of the sights - the salt evaporation ponds to the west, the marsh and boardwalk below you to the east (can you see where you were?), and some of the high peaks in the Bay Area. Some of these peaks are "Rim Rover" peaks which the boys can climb when they become Boy Scouts - Mission Peak just a little southeast, Mt. Tamalpais to the northwest (beyond San Francisco), and Mt. Diablo to the northeast. Continue south, stopping at Glider Hill to watch people flying model gliders. Go slowly down the steep hill to Soaproot Trail and go left, passing above Dairy Glen, the group campsite. Turn left again, back to the Visitor Center (you'll be approaching the Visitor Center from behind.)
Meridian Matters – February 2015
Meridian Matters is a monthly newsletter published by the Meridian District of Mount Diablo Silverado Council. The February issue is now available.
Click on the above link to learn about various district news and upcoming events !
Friends of Scouting (FOS) Campaign
Dear Cub Scout Parent,
We hope that you and your family will join us at our Blue & Gold Banquet scheduled for February 20th at 5:45pm at the Coyote Creek MPR. We are very proud of all the boys' achievements and extremely appreciative of all the parental involvement.
During the banquet, a District representative will be showing a video and making a brief presentation of the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign and then asking for your pledges to support our Pack’s FOS effort. The FOS program helps underwrite the cost of Scouting for our district, the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council. We thought it might be beneficial to send out this letter in advance for your information, so you and your spouse can discuss the tax deductible amount your family is considering donating.
Each year, our Scout parents are asked to support some of the hidden costs of Scouting. The Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, which serves around 17,000 youths, provides numerous benefits to all of our boys and adult volunteers. A few of these benefits include subsidized Cub Day Camp and Cub Family Camps, maintaining facilities such as Camp Herms and Wolfeboro, as well as youth and leadership training.
FOS provides these benefits to our Scouts throughout the bay area. The Scouting organization annually spends about $250 per boy while the registration fee is only $24. The Council hopes that each family will give enough to offset the spending cost for each boy, but if your family cannot contribute to this extent, please know that any amount is welcome.
Participation by every family, at any level, is the goal.
If you believe that the Scouting program has had a positive impact on your family, we urge you to join us in this effort to keep the Scout program a dynamic experience for the youth in our area.
Pack 1776 Committee
Blue and Gold 2015
Date: Friday, February 20th
Time: 5:45 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Coyote Creek MPR
Cost: None
RSVP: Evite
Dear Pack 1776 Scouts and Families,
We invite you to the Blue & Gold Banquet where we will celebrate the 105th birthday of Scouting and send off our twelve Webelos II's to Boy Scouts! We will enjoy great food and fun entertainment by Astro Wizard!
Admission is free to all scouts and their families but please RSVP by February 13th with the number of people attending and any vegetarian preference.
Schedule:
5:45 Welcome! Door Opens
6:00 Opening Flag Ceremony (Webelos II)
6:05 Greeting & Commence Dinner
6:20 Friends of Scouting
6:30 Recognition
6:40 Arrow of Light Bridging Ceremony
7:00 Closing Flag Ceremony (Webelos I)
7:05 Entertainment by Astro Wizard
8:30 Clean Up
See you at the big party!
Pack 1776 Blue and Gold Committee
